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6 p.m.
Football
at Wyoming
Saturday, September 27
Salt Lake City
6:00 PM
University of Utah
3-1 , 0-1
27
vs
28
Washington State
2-3 , 1-1
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
WASHINGTON STATE
0
7
7
14
28
UTAH
21
3
0
3
27
Washington State comeback tops Utah, 28-27
9/27/2014 12:00 AM | Football
Sept. 27, 2014
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery 
SALT LAKE CITY - Junior running back Devontae Booker rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown and Kaelin Clay returned his third punt for a touchdown, but the University of Utah football team lost to Washington State, 28-27, in its Pac-12 Conference opener on Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Utah (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) converted two non-offensive touchdowns to help them jump out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and built a 24-7 advantage at halftime.
Booker turned in a season-high 178 yards on another season-high 24 carries for his first career 100-yard rushing game, which included a 76-yard touchdown run. He also scored his third touchdown of the season.
Clay returned his third punt for a touchdown this season (fourth touchdown return overall). With three punt return touchdown returns in 2014, Clay tied the school's single-season record that Steve Smith set in 1999. He also had five receptions for 65 yards, including Utah's longest reception of the night, for 28 yards.
Quarterback Travis Wilson was 18-for-38 for 165 yards, while Kenneth Scott had seven catches for seven yards. Tim Patrick had a pair of catches for 23 yards.
Andy Phillips went 2-for-3 after making attempts from 43 and 46 yards with a miss from 46. Phillips is 5-of-7 this season from +40 yards. He is 24-of-29 on field goal attempts over his career and 14-of-18 from 40 yards or more.
The Ute defense stopped the Cougar offense on their first seven drives and came up with a total of 9.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
Defensive end Jason Fanaika led Utah's defensive unit with a pair of sacks of Connor Halliday, totaling 10 yards to go with a fumble recovery.
Jared Norris came up with a team-high 12 tackles to go with 2.5 tackles for loss, totaling 15 yards, and a sack as well as a pass breakup.
Brian Blechen came up with 10 tackles from his safety position as well as a tackle for loss.
In addition to Fanaika's fumble recovery, Gionni Paul and Eric Rowe both intercepted Halliday as well to account for Utah's three takeaways.
Norris' 7-yard sack ended Washington State's first drive of the contest and Rowe jumped a slant route and deflected it once to himself before an 11-yard touchdown interception return for the first score of the game. It was Utah's first interception return for a touchdown since Keith McGill's 19-yard return for a score against UCLA on Oct. 13, 2013.
Clay returned the punt 58 yards for a touchdown after being sprung by a block thrown by Raelon Singleton, which allowed Clay to reverse field and cruise up the sideline for the score.
Booker then broke a 76-yard touchdown run on his first touch of the game up the middle of the Washington State defense, which was the 10th-longest rush in school history.
The Cougars struck with their first touchdown in the second quarter and Phillips missed a 46-yard field goal. Paul picked off a lobbed screen pass by Halliday and returned it seven yards to the Utah 45-yard line.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, Dres Anderson drew a 15-yard pass interference penalty. Wilson then connected with Scott on a square out for 11 more yards before a holding penalty backed them up and set up another 46-yard field goal attempt from the left hashmark, which Phillips converted to give Utah a 24-7 edge heading into halftime.
Justin Thomas came up with a key fourth-down pass break to keep WSU off the board in its first drive of the second half. Unfortunately, Washington State had its first takeaway of the game and reached the end zone to pull within 10, 24-14.
A Washington State fumble recovered by Fanaika set up the Utah offense set up a 43-yard field goal by Phillips to start the fourth quarter put the Utes ahead, 27-14. The Cougars responded with back-to-back touchdowns (and PATs) to grab the lead for the first time, 28-27, with 4:58 remaining.
The Utes continue their conference slate on Saturday, Oct. 4 at No. 11 UCLA.
Team Stats
WSU
UTAH
Total Yards
495
357
Pass Yards
417
165
Rushing Yards
78
192
Penalty Yards
40
78
1st Downs
27
18
3rd Downs
10
7
4th Downs
2
1
TOP
34:13
25:47
1st Quarter
WSU 0, UTAH 7
UTAH - Rowe, Eric 11 yd interception (Phillips, Andy kick)
WSU 0, UTAH 14
UTAH - Clay, Kaelin 58 yd punt return (Phillips, Andy kick)
WSU 0, UTAH 21
UTAH - Booker,Devontae 76 yd run (Phillips, Andy kick), 2 plays, 82 yards, TOP 0:32
2nd Quarter
WSU 7, UTAH 21
WSU - Williams, Dom 35 yd pass from Halliday,Connor (Breshears, Q. kick) 10 plays, 71 yards, TOP 3:28
WSU 7, UTAH 24
UTAH - Phillips, Andy 46 yd field goal 7 plays, 26 yards, TOP 1:23
3rd Quarter
WSU 14, UTAH 24
WSU - Mayle, Vince 11 yd pass from Halliday,Connor (Breshears, Q. kick) 8 plays, 61 yards, TOP 3:33
4th Quarter
WSU 14, UTAH 27
UTAH - Phillips, Andy 43 yd field goal 6 plays, 17 yards, TOP 2:26
WSU 21, UTAH 27
WSU - Williams, Dom 20 yd pass from Halliday,Connor (Breshears, Q. kick) 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 6:05
WSU 28, UTAH 27
WSU - Mayle, Vince 81 yd pass from Halliday,Connor (Breshears, Q. kick) 4 plays, 92 yards, TOP 1:23
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
18
TD
0
YDS
165
INT
0
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Players Mentioned
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RB
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DE
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/ FootballQB
/ FootballUte greats Ron McBride and Roy Jefferson Ring of Honor Induction
Monday, September 08
Utah: 63, Cal Poly: 9 | POST GAME PRESS CONFERENCE
Saturday, September 06
Crimson Corner with Bill Riley - Ron McBride
Wednesday, September 03
Head Coach Kyle Whittingham weekly press conference - 9.1.25
Monday, September 01